Prevention of emergence agitation in seven children receiving low-dose ketamine and propofol total intravenous anesthesia

Emergence agitation (EA) can be a distressing side effect of pediatric anesthesia. We observed no recurrence of EA after a low-dose ketamine infusion was added to propofol total intravenous anesthesia in a series of seven pediatric oncology patients repetitively anesthetized for radiation therapy. EA had been documented in all seven patients but did not recur in any of 122 subsequent anesthetics in which this technique was used. Based on these findings, we recommend the addition of low-dose ketamine to propofol infusions for total intravenous anesthesia in order to prevent EA in children with a history of EA

Development of an enhanced recovery after surgery program for pediatric solid tumors

IntroductionEnhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) is an evidence-based, multi-modal approach to decrease surgical stress, expedite recovery, and improve postoperative outcomes. ERAS is increasingly being utilized in pediatric surgery. Its applicability to pediatric patients undergoing abdominal tumor resections remains unknown.Methods and AnalysisA group of key stakeholders adopted ERAS principles and developed a protocol suitable for the variable complexity of pediatric abdominal solid tumor resections. A multi-center, prospective, propensity-matched case control study was then developed to evaluate the feasibility of the protocol. A pilot-phase was utilized prior to enrollment of all patients older than one month of age undergoing any abdominal, retroperitoneal, or pelvic tumor resections. The primary outcome was 90-day complications per patient. Additional secondary outcomes included: ERAS protocol adherence, length of stay, time to administration of adjuvant chemotherapy, readmissions, reoperations, emergency room visits, pain scores, opioid usage, and differences in Quality of Recovery 9 scores.Ethics and DisseminationInstitutional review board approval was obtained at all participating centers. Informed consent was obtained from each participating patient. The results of this study will be presented at pertinent society meetings and published in peer-reviewed journals. We expect the results will inform peri-operative care for pediatric surgical oncology patients and provide guidance on initiation of ERAS programs. We anticipate this study will take four years to meet accrual targets and complete follow-up.Trial Registration NumberNCT04344899

Palliative Sedation Therapy in Pediatrics: An Algorithm and Clinical Practice Update

Palliative sedation therapy (PST) is an important clinical intervention for pediatric patients with refractory symptoms and suffering during the end-of-life (EOL) period. Variations in PST implementation including medication selection, limited literature regarding feasibility in various clinical settings, particularly non-intensive care units, and lack of education on evolving definitions and ideal practices may all contribute to the current underutilization of this valuable resource. We therefore offer a clinical algorithm for identifying appropriate patients for PST, ensuring all other modalities for symptom management have been considered and/or optimized, and present a guideline for PST implementation that can be adapted and individualized based on institutional experience and resource availability. Furthermore, through case-based clinical scenarios, we demonstrate how to incorporate this algorithm into EOL practice

Prospective randomized crossover evaluation of three anesthetic regimens for painful procedures in children with cancer

Objective: To identify the most effective sedation regimen for bone marrow aspiration and lumbar puncture procedures with a prospective trial of 3 combinations of sedation/analgesia. Study design: In this double-blind crossover study, we randomly assigned 162 children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia or lymphoblastic lymphoma to receive fentanyl 1 mcg/kg, fentanyl 0.5 mcg/kg, or placebo, in addition to propofol and topical anesthetic for 355 procedures. Results: We found no significant differences among the 3 regimens in the frequency of pain (pain score \u3e 0) or severe pain (pain score ≥ 5) during recovery, or a \u3e20% increase in hemodynamic/respiratory variables during anesthesia. Treatment with fentanyl 1 mcg/kg was associated with a lower frequency of movement during procedure compared with treatment with fentanyl 0.5 mcg/kg (P =.0476) or treatment with placebo (P =.0545). The placebo group required longer time to recover (median, 18 minutes) compared with the fentanyl 0.5 mcg/kg group (median, 9 minutes) (median difference 2.0, P =.007) and the fentanyl 1 mcg/kg (median 8 minutes), (median difference 2.0, P =.15). The placebo group also required larger total dose of propofol (median 5 mg/kg) compared with that of the fentanyl 1 mcg/kg group (median, 3.5 mg/kg) and the fentanyl 0.5 mcg/kg group (median 3.5 mg/kg) (median differences 1.5, P \u3c.00005, in both comparisons). Conclusion: The addition of fentanyl 1 mcg/kg to propofol for brief painful procedures reduces movement, propofol dose, and recovery time. Copyright © 2013 Mosby Inc

COVID‐19 infection and pain in adolescents with sickle cell disease: A case series

Abstract Adolescents with sickle cell disease (SCD) have been shown to have pain‐related sequelae following COVID‐19 infection. In this case series, we discuss five adolescents with SCD and SARS‐CoV‐2 infection who subsequently developed complex pain circumstances manifested as: (1) increased frequency of acute care visits or admissions for pain; (2) new onset chronic pain; (3) new onset neuropathic pain; (4) escalation in the complexity of pharmacologic therapies; (5) increased use of nonpharmacologic interventions. While more research is needed to fully understand the implications of COVID‐19 infection on pain in adolescents with SCD, these cases suggest the presence of a complex relationship

Gabapentin for acute pain in sickle cell disease: A randomized double‐blinded placebo‐controlled phase II clinical trial

Abstract Pain in sickle cell disease (SCD) can have a neuropathic component. This randomized phase II double‐blinded placebo‐controlled study evaluated the efficacy of gabapentin in reducing pain and opioid consumption (morphine‐equivalent dose [MED]) during acute vaso‐occlusive crisis (VOC). Of 90 patients aged 1–18 years with VOC pain, 45 were randomized to a single gabapentin dose (15 mg/kg) and 45 to placebo, in addition to standard treatment; 42 and 44 patients were evaluable in the gabapentin and placebo arms, respectively. A decrease in pain of ≥33% was reported in 68% of patients in the gabapentin arm and 60% of those in the placebo arm (one‐sided p = 0.23). The median MED (mg/kg) in the gabapentin (0.12) and placebo arms (0.13) was similar (p = 0.9). However, in the subset of patients with the HbSS genotype (n = 45), the mean (SD) absolute pain score decrease by the time of discharge was significantly greater in the gabapentin arm (5.9 [3.5]) than in the placebo arm (3.6 [3.3]) (p = 0.032). Pain scores in the overall study population were not significantly reduced when gabapentin was added to standard treatment; however, gabapentin benefited individuals with the more severe genotype, HbSS, during acute VOC. Larger, prospective studies are needed to confirm these findings

Patient and clinician beliefs about potential barriers to treatment of neuropathic pain for adolescents with sickle cell disease

Abstract Pain is the hallmark symptom causing morbidity for people with sickle cell disease (SCD) and may present as nociceptive, neuropathic, or mixed type pain. Neuropathic pain (NP) is underrecognized and undertreated in patients with SCD and is associated with decreased patient‐reported quality of life. Surveys were completed by clinicians caring for adolescents with SCD in the outpatient setting. SCD patients ages 1418 at increased risk of NP completed a patient‐facing survey at a scheduled clinic visit. Ninety‐four percent of responding clinicians agreed that NP significantly contributes to reported pain in SCD. Clinicians believed that NP medications are effective for reducing chronic pain (62%) and decreasing opioid utilization (44%). Clinician‐identified barriers to prescribing NP medications included concerns about medication adherence (82%), lack of pediatric guidelines for NP medications (70%), and perceived patient concern about side effects (65%). More than 1/3 (35%) of clinicians reported that they were not comfortable managing NP medications. Clinician‐identified barriers to referral to a pain management specialist included scheduling concerns (88%) and perceived patient/family lack of interest (77%). Most patients expressed willingness to take a medication for NP (78%), see a pain management specialist (84%), or learn more about nonpharmacologic interventions (72%), although most (51%) also reported some concerns about taking a medication for NP, citing insufficient knowledge (34%), and potential for side effects (32%). A minority of respondents (15%) worried about referral to a pain management specialist. Clinician and patient perspectives provide insights that may guide education efforts or other interventions to improve treatment of SCD‐related NP